All 72 EFL clubs shift kick-off times by one minute to highlight power of life-saving CPR.
Thirty-six EFL fixtures, from February 5-9, across all three EFL divisions, are set to kick-off one minute later than scheduled, as a stark reminder that every minute matters when it comes to performing life-saving CPR.
The kick-off times are designed to raise awareness of Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation’s transformative Every Minute Matters campaign which, with the support of the EFL, has already inspired over 400,000 people to start learning CPR since the campaign launched in May 2024.
This February is Heart Month and Sky Bet, the BHF and the EFL are on a mission to mobilise football fans across the nation, as the campaign aims to get half a million people to save hearts all over the UK by starting to learn CPR by the end of the month.
Throughout February, Sky Bet and BHF’s Every Minute Matters campaign will be calling on fans to step up and learn CPR using the BHF’s free, simple and easy-to-use online tool, RevivR. Fans can search ‘BHF RevivR’ or visit revivr.bhf.org.uk/efl
EFL chief executive officer, Trevor Birch, said: “Our 72 Clubs sit at the heart of their communities, and they show time and again how football can drive real-world change. The one minute kick-off adjustment is a simple, powerful reminder that swift CPR can be the difference between life and death. Since the launch of the Every Minute Matters campaign in May 2024, over 400,000 supporters have already begun learning CPR—now we’re calling on supporters everywhere to join them this February and help us pass the half million mark.”
Bristol Rovers defender and BHF ambassador, Tom Lockyer, said: “What happened to me can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time. Every year, more than 40,000 people in the UK suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and most of them never make it home. I’m here today because of the transformative power of CPR as every minute matters when it comes to saving a life.
“Football has an incredible power to cut through, and since the Play-Off Final last May, Sky Bet and the BHF have galvanised the football community in a way I never imagined. Fans, players and Clubs have shown that when we unite behind a single purpose, we can change outcomes and save lives. This February, we want everyone to get behind this life-saving initiative, learn the skills and be ready to step in – because your actions could give someone else the chance I was given.”
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said: “From the terraces to the training ground, football unites communities, and this Heart Month, together with Sky Bet and the EFL, we can save lives.
“These unique kick‑off times are a powerful reminder that every minute matters in a cardiac arrest. Each minute without CPR reduces a person’s chance of survival, so we’re urging fans to learn the skills now, before you ever need them. Learning CPR with our free online tool, RevivR, takes just 15 minutes — and it could be the difference between life and death.”
